Archive for the ‘Research’ Category
Using stem cells in developmental disorder research
Every two hours, someone is born with Rett Syndrome (RTT), a developmental disorder seen almost always in girls, but occasionally in boys. Those with the disease usually develop normally until they reach 12-18 months, at which point development stops and oftentimes is reversed, causing previously developed skills to deteriorate. RTT is typically placed under the…Read more
Tiny zebrafish shows how kidney regeneration could be achieved
Renal disease threatens approximately 2 million Canadians nationwide. The Kidney Foundation of Canada estimates that each day, an average of 14 Canadians learn that their kidneys have failed. Most diseases of the kidneys affect the nephrons, the functional unit of the kidney. Nephrons fulfill a variety of functions including regulating blood volume, filtering the blood,…Read more
New technologies in stem cell biology and a call to reach back in time
I recently attended a special conference on Stem Cells, Development, and Cancer run by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) where Connie Eaves from the British Columbia Cancer Agency chaired a session entitled “Emerging Technologies” and said something that rang very true to me. She challenged the audience to read the papers from their…Read more
Genomic instability in iPS cells
They’re promising, but not perfect. Induced pluripotent stem cells are perhaps one of the most studied areas of stem cell research today, as researchers work to improve their method of production, but new findings out of Canada and Finland suggests that the process of reprogramming may cause unwanted and irreversible DNA damage. As such, the…Read more
Horse-derived iPS cells
We’ve talked often about induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) on this blog — the transformation of adult terminally differentiated cells into stem cells that can differentiate into various lineages — mostly in the context of discoveries in mice and potential applications in regenerative therapy for humans. One thing mentioned less often is the use of stem cell…Read more
It’s a matter of attraction: homing and mobility in the blood system
In previous posts, I discussed the use of cell therapy, specifically the application of allogenic or autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), as a way to repopulate blood cell lineages to normal levels post-treatment in patients suffering from certain types of blood-related cancers. These therapies would not be successful if not for the ability of stem…Read more
Genetic diversity in leukemia cells
Although tumours are typically thought of as a single entity, the cells that make up a tumour are genetically diverse. The traditional view of cancer progression — in which a tumour arises from a single cell after accumulated mutations — suggests that tumour cells, while genetically diverse due to selective pressures and other evolutionary forces,…Read more
Trending topics in hematology: summary of the 2010 American Society of Hematology conference
Stem cells were high on the list of hot topics at this year’s American Society of Hematology conference in Orlando, Florida, particularly regarding the uses and effects of stem cells in the treatment of disease. The Ham-Wasserman lecture, named for two past ASH presidents, was presented by Tsvee Lapidot, from the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel. His lecture…Read more
